Container



Nov. 7, 1939.

W. E. CATEN CONTAINER Filed Aug. 1. 1936 INVENTOR 2451/6623 017$. ATTORNEY6 Patented Nov. 7, 1939 CONTAINER Walter E. Caten, Dayton, Ohio, assignor, by mesne ents, to Humoco Corporation, Louisville, Ky., a corporation of Delaware Application August 1, 1936, Serial No. 93,859

4 Claims.

This invention relates to containers and more particularly to containers adapted to the packaging of tobacco or like substances.

The principal object of this invention is to provide an eflicient and convenient container for tobacco or like material which will preserve the contents in desired condition throughout use, and which can be economically manufactured from inexpensive materials.

Another object is to provide such a container in which the contents are received and maintained in loose, unpacked form, and protected to a high degree from ingress and egress of air and moisture, and from which the contents may be readily sifted for use.

Still anotherobject of this invention is to provide a sealed container for tobacco or like material with walls impervious to air and moisture and having an opening provided with an air and moisture proof frangible covering to protect the contents prior to first use, and a movable closure for the opening for use after breaking of the covering.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description, the accompanying drawing, and the appended claims.

In the drawing- Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a complete container embodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken on the line 2--2 of Fig. 4, and with the closure member removed;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary vertical section on an enlarged scale taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the container, the closure member being removed; and

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal vertical section of the closure member, taken on the center line.

The container of the present invention while suitable for many purposes is particularly desiramaking it less desirable in use. A free circulation of air in and out of the package will carry oil. the natural oils and moisture, and it is therefore desirable to restrict this passage of air.

. It has been found, however, that a partial restriction of the package, while restricting in some degree the loss of desirable elements from the tobacco, is undesirable in that under such conditions the growth of mold appears to 'be more rapid than when the container is either freely exposed to the air or entirely sealed with respect thereto. Accordingly, to prevent objectionable molding of the tobacco, and to secure the desired retention of moisture, essential oils, etc., it is important that the container be adequately'secured' against passage of air or moisture.

In the larger sizes of tobacco packages, it is common practice to use an hermetically sealed container, but in the standard two-ounce pocket package containers it is the usual practice to market tobacco in an unsealed metal container, the tobacco in the form of a filler being wrapped in a paper wrapper. Such packages are not sealed against passage of volatile matters and moisture either before they are opened or subsequently and are subject to serious losses of natural moisture and oils from the tobacco. It is the practice in the conventional container to form and press the tobacco, prior to packing, into a relatively compact form, and this form or block is then wrapped in paper to produce a flller hav ing the approximate shape of the package. This unsealed filler is then inserted in the customary metal container having a hinged top, and the top is-closed and held by a revenue stamp. This requires'the additional operations of forming and inserting the wrapper and does not result in a package sealed against loss of moisture, etc. And in use, the tobacco desired must be loosened from the body of the pack, an operation of some diiiiculty particularly after the top portion of the tobacco has been used up. 1

The present invention overcomesthe defects of the previous practices, and provides a low-cost container, adapted to be made principally from paperboard, and which is sealed in an emcient manner to inhibit the. ingress and egress of air well beyond the point at which mold occurs, and in fact substantially completely, and which likewise prevents loss of the moisture and natural oils of the tobacco. Furthermore, this invention allows the use of a loose pack, the container being increased slightly in size to allow for the increase in volume resulting from such a pack. The use of a loose pack, which is madepossible because there is no necessity of pressing of the tobacco for the preservance of moisture or otherwise, has the advantage of allowing the tobacco to be sifted from the package for use, and does away with the awkward and inconvenient digging in the package with the fingers or some implement, in order to get the tobacco out of the container. Furthermore, the use of a loose pack makes possible the simplification oi the packing process with a lowering in cost of production.

The invention is illustrated as embodied in a container adapted to hold the customary two Ounces of tobacco. Such a container is very nearly the size of the cans in present use. For example it has been found that by keeping the height and width of the container the same as the cans now on the market, and by making a slight increase inthe thickness of thecontainer sufficient additional volume is obtained to permit of using the loose pack mentioned above, while the overall increase in the dimensions of the package is so slight as to be quite unobjectionable to the user,- if noticeable.

Referring now in detail to the drawing, a container is shown in which there is a paperboard body portion it, metal top and bottom end pieces ii and i2, and a closure member i3, cooperating with the top end piece ii. The body portion it), which is shown formed of paperboard, is preferably formed by winding a single blank sheet convolutely to provide a multi-wall construction. A type of body wall which has been found satisfactory is formed by winding a sheet of six point manila stock to provide a body portion having three layers with suitable overlap, as indicated at l4, l5 and it in Fig. 3. These layers are adhesively secured together preferably by means of a moisture resistant adhesive of suitable character.

Means are provided to give the body portion a 7,

surface having air and moisture proof characteristics in excess of those possessed by the paperboard alone. As illustrated, a liner 5? is provided on the inner face of the body portion. This liner is preferably not co-extensive with the blank in order to avoid unnecessary use of the relatively expensive liner material, and does not extend between the plies of the body portion, but has a length only slightly in excess of the inside perimeter of the body portion, providing for overlap l8. In the other direction, the liner extends the full height of the can body, and terminates within and is held by the attaching portions of ends II and I2, as will be more fully described below. The liner is preferably wound with the body portion at the time of formation of the latter and also adhesivly secured thereto by an adhesive having properties similar to that described above. A substance having suitablelmoisture and air resistance and other requisite characteristics is used for the liner. It has been found satisfactory to employ a paper-backed metal foil, such as aluminum foil, or a glycerine or parchmentized sheet or a sheet of the glassine type. If desired the sheet of stock may be provided with a suitable moisture proof surface coating to provide the desired characteristics.

Top and bottom ends II and I2 are crimped to body portion W in' sealed relationship. The ends are provided with a recessed portion 20 which conforms to the shape of the body portion openings, and fits snugly therein. The outermost portions of the ends shown at 2|, are crimped down against the outer wall of the container body in the form of a bead, and grip the body portion between the recessed walls and the bead.

Liner l1 extends into this space between the recess wall 22 of the metal end and the body of the container and is gripped between tl em. To insure satisfactory sealing at this I oint, it is preferred that these attachments be in the form of a luted joint, and to this end a suitable sealing material is applied at the point of attachment. Such sealing material is preferably applied to the end blanks, or to the body portion wall ends, just prior to attachment. It is also desirable that such sealing material have adhesive characteristics, and among the substances which have been top end ll.

found satisfactory for this use are neutral casein, sodium silicate, and a cellulose ester material such as a solution of nitrocellulose.

Bottom end i2 is imperforate, and when formed of metal is impervious to the passage of moisture and air, and consequently no additional protection is required for this part of a container. If desired, the bottom end l2may have formed in it a series of closely spaced transverse corrugations to provide a convenient means for the striking of matches. Top end H has an aperture 25 cut therein which provides for the removal of the contents, and which may be of any desired and convenient shape and size. As shown in Fig. 4 for example aperture 25 has a width nearly equal to that of the recessed portion 26 through which the aperture is cut, and extends lengthwise throughout the major portion of the length of.

the recess 20; or if an aperture of maximum size is desired it may extend throughout the entire area of the recessed portion.

Underlying aperture 25 is frangible sealing means 26. This sealing means is shown as placed in contact with the lower face of top end I Sealing means 26 is formed of a material which has air and moisture proof characteristics, and which is adapted to be readily broken by the finger to gain access to the contents of the package. If desired, the sealing means 26 may also be made of a transparent material to provide for inspection of the contents without breaking of the frangible seal. A sheet of moisture proof cellophone has been'found satisfactory for use as a sealing means.

Sealing means 26 is attached to the container in sealed relationship. A satisfactory method of attachment, as illustrated in the drawings, is to provide a sealing means in the form of a sheet of sumcient sizeto extend into the gripping portion of top end II. This sheet of material preferably extends over the entire end portion of the container, directly inwardly of end II, and also extend peripherally beyond the end of body nortion It. Upon the applying of the top end II and the crimping thereof in place as described above, sealing means 26 is then held in sealed relationship with liner i1, body portion I0, and Preferably a luted joint is formed similar to that described above. That is, sealing material is applied to the end of the body wall. The sealing means 26 is placed over the treated end of the wall, and the metal end H is then placed in assembled position, the recessed part thereof causing the sheet of material to be drawn across the end under slight tension which avoids creases and the like. The end is then crimped in position, forming a thoroughly effective sealed construction. There is thus provided a container in which all the parts which contact the substances packed therein are in sealed relationship, and possess air and moisture proof characteristics in highly satisfactory manner to meet the rigid requirements of packaging tobacco. For example containers have been constructed in accordance with this invention having airproof characteristics sumcient to withstand even up to a two-inch vacuum, and this is found to be completely satisfactory for the packaging of tobacco and the like.

For use as a closure member subsequent to the fracturing of frangible sealing means 26,- and during the use of the product, a-movable closure member is provided, operatively connected to top end II. In the embodiment illustrated, as shown more particularly in Fig. '1 and Fig. 5, a metal 7 closure member [3 is provided, and is slidingly attached to top end H. Closure member H has downwardly and inwardly bent peripheral flange 30, which extends around one end of closure member l3 and throughout the major portion of the sides thereof, terminating at 3|. Flange 30 is adapted to engage in sliding relationship the outer portion of bead 2|, which forms part of attaching means of top end II. The top portion of closure member l3 has indentations therein, and which may be stamped therein at the time of forming. The larger of these is finger hold 33, and this is located at the end 34 of closure member 13, end 34 being the free end, or end under which fiangeportion 30 does not extend and also the end overlying aperture 25.

Somewhat inwardly of finger hold 33 is located free end 34, and adapted to engage the recess wall 22 when the closure member i3 is moved to open position. Stop means 35 thus defines a limiting position of maximum opening for cover member 13. Closure member l3 may be stopped in any position short of the position of maximum opening, and thus, in cooperation with aperture 25, provides a control for the rate of sifting of the product from the container. Closure member It is formed of comparatively light gage sheet metal, and is sufliciently flexible to deform enough to permit of being snapped in place over bead 2| in assembly, or permitting complete removal if desired. As will beevident from Fig. 1, in the closed position of closure member I3, flange 30 is in close contact with bead 2! throughout the major portion of the length of the bead, and the free end 34 of the closure member forms a snug fit with the raised flat top portion 23 lying between recess wall 22 and crimp 2| of top end N. This raised fiat portion 23 has a substantial width, insuring adequate contact with free end 3t when closure I3 is in closed position. Thus there is provided a closure for the cont protects the sealing means 26 against accidental rupture and which, after the iractm'ing of the seal, impedes the passage of air and moisture to a satisfactory extent to maintain the tobacco in the desired condition throughout its use. Prior to use closure member I3 is held in closed position by the application of the revenue stamp across its top, and with its ends attached to body portion it, thus making it necessary to tear the stamp in order to open the container.

The use of a container embodying this invention makes possible a more economical method of packaging of tobacco or like products. The customary step, referred to above, of pressing and wrapping a quantity of tobacco to produce a filler, is completely avoided by the use of the container herein disclosed. In using a container embodying thepresent invention. a body portion I0 is formed and top end ll together with sealing means 26 is applied as described above. The tobacco or other product is then simply poured in the still open bottom end, a loose filling being used. Bottom end I! is then crlmped onto the filled container. Closure member I! is clipped over top end Ii, and the revenue stamp applied, thus producing the finished package ready for marketing, and having the contents seolinglyprotected therein and in the form of a loose fill. In

the use of the container the revenue stamp is broken, closure member I3 is slid back to open position, frangible sealing means 26 is broken,

and the contents can then be sifted out through opening 25, closure member 13 being slidlngly adjusted to expose the aperture to the desired ex tent to provide for controlled sifting of the tobacco out of the container, and being returned to closed after use to prevent objectionable escape of moisture and the like.

While the form of article herein described constitutes a preferred embodiment of the invention. it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to this precise form of article, and that changes may be made therein without departing from the scope of the invention which is defined, in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A container of the character described for tobacco or the like comprising a paperboard body portion having a surfacing to provide air and moisture proof characteristics, metal ends crimped to said body portion in sealed relationship, one of said ends having an aperture therein, frangible sealing means underlying said apertured end and held in sealed relation by the crimp of said end to provide a seal for the aperture of said end, and a movable closure member for said aperture having operative sliding engagement with a peripheral bead formed by the crimped portion of said apertured end.

2. In a container, a tubular body comprising fibrous material and having an inner er of impervious material, a metallic end closure for said body having a portion extending across the mouth of said body and flanged portions having crimped relation with the edge of said body to form a closure seam, said first-named portion having an aperture therein, and a frangible closure underlying said metallic closure and having the margin thereof extending into said crlmped seam, said liner and the marginal portion or said frangible closure being adhesively secured together.

3. In a container, a tubular body comprising fibrous material having straight wall portions joined by arcuate wall portions, a metallic end closure for said body having a portion extending across the mouth thereof and flanged portions having crimped relation with the end of said body to form a closure seam, said first-named portion having an aperture therein, a frangible closure underlying said metal closure and having the margin thereof extending into said crimped seam, and' a cover having a flange portion engaging said seam, whereby the cover is slidably held in position on the body.

4. In a container, a, tubular body comprising fibrous material having'straight wall portions joined by arcuate wall portions, a metallic and closure for said body having a portion extending across the mouth thereof and flanged portions having crimped relation withthe end of said body to form a closure seam, said first named portion having an aperture therein, and a frangible closure underlying said metal closure and having the margin thereof extending into said crimped seam.

- WALTER E. CATEN. 

